How did you react when you didn't get in ANYWHERE?

[lmn]

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I just keep thinking, what if i end up in her class.

S/he is accepted this cycle, so they would never have to deal with them in their same class bar repeating a year or taking a year off. Still, it would suck to have someone with that kind of attitude at my same school, or even in my same profession... Hopefully they either grow up and fix their attitude in the next year or so, or else they get seen for who they really are by their interviewers (if they get any) and get kept out of the profession.

 

[allre]

-

 

[rachel993]

Just submitted AMCAS. I will let you know how it feels in a year. 😛

already that doubtful?
im hoping to submit by next week once i find out mcat scores...

 

[persumas]

I only took Honors Bio 1, Honors Bio 2, and G-Chem 1 at community college. I took Gchem 2 - A , Physics 1- B+, Physics 2- A, Ochem - A-, Ochem2 - B-, Biochem- A- at my top 25 university :/

Ah toughh. pretty similar on my end. Gen Chem & Gen Bio at CC. Phys (A,A,A-), Org (A-,A,A), Bioc (A,A-)

I just keep thinking, what if i end up in her class.

I keep wondering what she will say/write when asked "what is your most humbling experience?" Also a part of me imagines she describes herself like she is Chuck Norris. 😛

 

[SIGINT]

I've been in that position many times, and each time, a significant chunk of my confidence eroded. I felt angry most of the time and obsessively planned about how to improve my app.

 

[rachel993]

I've been in that position many times, and each time, a significant chunk of my confidence eroded. I felt angry most of the time and obsessively planned about how to improve my app.

how many is many? if you dont mind me asking. looks like youve succeeded now though so kudos to you 🙂

 

[SIGINT]

how many is many? if you dont mind me asking. looks like youve succeeded now though so kudos to you 🙂

Its embarrassing to admit but its 4 total (3 US MD, 2 Canadian, with 1 year of overlapping apps).

 

[AspiringERMD]

The first time I applied, when I didn't get in, I pretty much didn't speak with any of my friends afterwards. You build yourself up pretty high, and admitting you failed is just devastating. I still don't talk with most of those people. I might reconnect at some point.

If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have told anyone I was applying until I got in.

I've thought about not telling anyone, but honestly it would be impossible to hide it. What I do instead is drill it into everyone's heads that few/no people are "shoo-ins" anywhere by giving them the general statistics, etc. And that my expectation is just to get into one or two out of twenty. Most of them still don't believe me, but at least if I get rejected everywhere, I can say "See... I told you it was really hard."

I know everyone means well when they tell me I'll "definitely" get in, but it's just so ignorant, and it annoys me. And a few even get offended when I repeatedly try to tell them that they're wrong. Sigh. I do my best to still be as nice as possible. 🙂

 

[Keladry]

I've thought about not telling anyone, but honestly it would be impossible to hide it. What I do instead is drill it into everyone's heads that few/no people are "shoo-ins" anywhere by giving them the general statistics, etc. And that my expectation is just to get into one or two out of twenty. Most of them still don't believe me, but at least if I get rejected everywhere, I can say "See... I told you it was really hard."

I know everyone means well when they tell me I'll "definitely" get in, but it's just so ignorant, and it annoys me. And a few even get offended when I repeatedly try to tell them that they're wrong. Sigh. I do my best to still be as nice as possible. 🙂

Last year, when I told people I was applying to 16 schools, everyone said, "Oh my god, that's so many!!!" and I was like, "No, it's about average, this is a really tough process." This year, I'm probably applying to 25 schools, and if someone asks how many I'm applying to, I'll just say it's a bunch. 😛

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Its embarrassing to admit but its 4 total (3 US MD, 2 Canadian, with 1 year of overlapping apps).

You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You should be proud of you determination and hard work.

Its not about how many times you fall down; Its about how many times you get back up.


Im proud of you!

 

[el_duderino]

I just keep thinking, what if i end up in her class.

Honestly I don't think she'll be accepted anywhere she applies.

 

[lmn]

Honestly I don't think she'll be accepted anywhere she applies.

I would honestly feel bad for them and want people to just leave them alone, ya they made some dumb statements, if it weren't for the fact that they come on every day or two and continue to say completely ignorant or rude comments about how they are going to be accepted and thus know how things should be done, or telling the waitlist thread that they hope they don't end up like them thanks to their mcat score.

 

[el_duderino]

Ulah is a she, not a "they" 🙂

 

[lmn]

Ulah is a she, not a "they" 🙂

haha fair enough, I haven't bothered to read through all her posts to see if she ever made mention, and I try my best not to judge based on avatars ha

 

[rachel993]

I would honestly feel bad for them and want people to just leave them alone, ya they made some dumb statements, if it weren't for the fact that they come on every day or two and continue to say completely ignorant or rude comments about how they are going to be accepted and thus know how things should be done, or telling the waitlist thread that they hope they don't end up like them thanks to their mcat score.

wait. this happened? Ulah, you actually made the effort to go onto the waitlist thread just so you could write that on there?

 

[MithranDR]

Sorry, I'm a little late to this thread, but I thought I'd add my two cents.

I applied to 29 schools this last cycle (28 of which were US MDs) under the guidance of my undergrad pre-med advisor. Out of those 28, I received zero interviews. Each rejection stung, but I always fell back onto the idea that I applied to so many that "I still had more to go". Once I got to the end of my long list full of rejections, I felt more of a numbness that entirety of the work I put into this last cycle didn't actually lead to anything.

This being said, I am extremely happy to be attending school outside of the US starting this summer. However, just knowing in *captain* hindsight that I could have skipped the AMCAS primary, secondaries (and saved soooooo much money), and still be in the same place I am now is pretty annoying to think about.

In the end, I assessed my first cycle, made of list of everything I could change to enhance my application, and if I was going to reapply, I'd be putting them into practice right now.

 

[user12]

It has been pretty rough. I think the worst part is receiving advice from well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process. I've been told that I should retake the MCAT (I scored a 38), apply to various Masters programs (I have a 3.6+ GPA, with a 4.0 for the past several years), and give up and become a PA (not a terrible idea considering my age, but still a little bit offensive). I knew that I was taking a risk this cycle by only applying to top schools, but it's difficult to explain that part to folks who aren't in the know.

I think being a little bit older and having perspective has been somewhat helpful in coping with the rejection. However, it is still pretty painful and the idea of being yet another year older when I start medical school is a real punch to the gut. I think most of us here are mature enough to deal with it and move forward - it just kind of sucks.

that's a killer mcat. you're smart as hell, you'll be fine.

 

[el_duderino]

It has been pretty rough. I think the worst part is receiving advice from well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process. I've been told that I should retake the MCAT (I scored a 38), apply to various Masters programs (I have a 3.6+ GPA, with a 4.0 for the past several years), and give up and become a PA (not a terrible idea considering my age, but still a little bit offensive). I knew that I was taking a risk this cycle by only applying to top schools, but it's difficult to explain that part to folks who aren't in the know.

I think being a little bit older and having perspective has been somewhat helpful in coping with the rejection. However, it is still pretty painful and the idea of being yet another year older when I start medical school is a real punch to the gut. I think most of us here are mature enough to deal with it and move forward - it just kind of sucks.

Those "well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process" were the bane of my existence for 2+ years. It's not easy telling them "I'm an extremely long-shot candidate; the odds are heavily against me actually getting accepted."

 

[tantacles]

Those "well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process" were the bane of my existence for 2+ years. It's not easy telling them "I'm an extremely long-shot candidate; the odds are heavily against me actually getting accepted."

This is exactly how I felt. Being supportive does not mean making assumptions about a process about which you have no knowledge. It means accepting reality and trying to understand someone's actual needs when things don't go well.

 

[UCSBro]

How did you emotionally react, go about coping with it, and how long did it take you to realize your life wasn't over/ become optimistic?

I was not happy. You don't realize that you have not been accepted anywhere immediately because there are waitlists, but once find out your waitlist ranking or notice that it is stagnant you start to realize that you're in for another round of applications. I knew that reapplication may have been in the works when I applied so I kept up with my ECs and stayed active during the application year so I wouldnt be stuck without a paddle come application season. I never got truly depressed but I really had to come to accept that I have to go through this arduous process all over again.

I'd also be interested to hear about people who took / are on MORE than the 2nd cycle of applying, if possible.


Many schools do not accept third time applicants. As such many people do not apply a third time.

 

[Stagg737]

My first time was brutal. I was told my whole college career that I was a decent applicant, then told December of senior year, after all my secondaries were in, that my chances were ridiculously low. I got one interview in their last date of the year. At the interview we were told that out of the 12-13 interviewees at least 6 would be accepted due to an abnormal number of openings, and another 3-4 would be invited to the waitlist, meaning only 3 or 4 people out of the group would be flat out rejected. I thought the interview went alright, but felt confident afterward because they said at least half of us would be straight up accepted. I was pretty crushed when I got the rejection letter.

I went to a master's program where my adviser leveled with me and made me realize how poor of an applicant I actually was. I ended up having to take medical withdrawal from a semester of my master's program, so I wasn't that shocked when I was rejected the second time, but I was surprised that I got 0 interviews. It sucked again, but I felt more prepared to reapply and understand what I needed to do to get in.

Third time was the charm 😉

If you don't get in the first time, don't think of it as a failure. Think of it as an opportunity to address any weaknesses and improve your application. Like someone else stated, most people don't get in their first time, so for anyone that doesn't make it the first time: Take a few days to grieve, then get your head back in the game and take care of business.

 

[Stagg737]

It has been pretty rough. I think the worst part is receiving advice from well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process. I've been told that I should retake the MCAT (I scored a 38), apply to various Masters programs (I have a 3.6+ GPA, with a 4.0 for the past several years), and give up and become a PA (not a terrible idea considering my age, but still a little bit offensive). I knew that I was taking a risk this cycle by only applying to top schools, but it's difficult to explain that part to folks who aren't in the know.

Whoever told you to retake the MCAT with a 38 should be slapped. If you're smart about where you apply you should definitely get accepted (unless there are extenuating circumstances of course).

 

[familyaerospace]

Many schools do not accept third time applicants. As such many people do not apply a third time.

Outside of Einstein, who does not accept third time applicants?

I spoke to two admissions people at two schools I want to go to (one I applied to three times, the other twice) and both said it was not uncommon for people to apply to their school and even be waitlisted four or five times before getting accepted which gives me hope.

 

[AndyQC]

Outside of Einstein, who does not accept third time applicants?

I spoke to two admissions people at two schools I want to go to (one I applied to three times, the other twice) and both said it was not uncommon for people to apply to their school and even be waitlisted four or five times before getting accepted which gives me hope.

I believe Geffen is another school that discourages students from applying more than twice.

 

[IL Pre Med]

I didn't get in last year due to low GPA and applying late, here's to hoping a small GPA increase and applying day one will yield different results this year! Fingers crossed! If not I'll do the same thing I did last year, prepare for rejection from day 1 and continue to increase GPA and build ECs

 

[IL Pre Med]

Those "well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process" were the bane of my existence for 2+ years. It's not easy telling them "I'm an extremely long-shot candidate; the odds are heavily against me actually getting accepted."

This. I feel you man.

 

[mrh125]

How did you emotionally react, go about coping with it, and how long did it take you to realize your life wasn't over/ become optimistic?

I was not happy. You don't realize that you have not been accepted anywhere immediately because there are waitlists, but once find out your waitlist ranking or notice that it is stagnant you start to realize that you're in for another round of applications. I knew that reapplication may have been in the works when I applied so I kept up with my ECs and stayed active during the application year so I wouldnt be stuck without a paddle come application season. I never got truly depressed but I really had to come to accept that I have to go through this arduous process all over again.

I'd also be interested to hear about people who took / are on MORE than the 2nd cycle of applying, if possible.


Many schools do not accept third time applicants. As such many people do not apply a third time.

how many schools don't accept 3rd time applicants? is it a lifetime rule? meaning that if you apply 3 times you can NEVER apply to that medical school again for the rest of your life.

Sorry, I'm a little late to this thread, but I thought I'd add my two cents.

I applied to 29 schools this last cycle (28 of which were US MDs) under the guidance of my undergrad pre-med advisor. Out of those 28, I received zero interviews. Each rejection stung, but I always fell back onto the idea that I applied to so many that "I still had more to go". Once I got to the end of my long list full of rejections, I felt more of a numbness that entirety of the work I put into this last cycle didn't actually lead to anything.

This being said, I am extremely happy to be attending school outside of the US starting this summer. However, just knowing in *captain* hindsight that I could have skipped the AMCAS primary, secondaries (and saved soooooo much money), and still be in the same place I am now is pretty annoying to think about.

In the end, I assessed my first cycle, made of list of everything I could change to enhance my application, and if I was going to reapply, I'd be putting them into practice right now.

Woah, what were your stats? Any idea why you got rejected? 🙁 This thread is scaring the hell out of me. I'm applying to 40 schools and i'm so worried about being in this situation.

 

[rachel993]

how many schools don't accept 3rd time applicants? is it a lifetime rule? meaning that if you apply 3 times you can NEVER apply to that medical school again for the rest of your life.


Woah, what were your stats? Any idea why you got rejected? 🙁 This thread is scaring the hell out of me. I'm applying to 40 schools and i'm so worried about being in this situation.

Holy s*** are you seriously applying to 40 schools?! Do you realize how many secondaries that is, and how much money?! I mean I'm sure you're like "duh I realize" , but really I'm curious, what is your logic for THAT many?

 

[mrh125]

Holy s*** are you seriously applying to 40 schools?! Do you realize how many secondaries that is, and how much money?! I mean I'm sure you're like "duh I realize" , but really I'm curious, what is your logic for THAT many?

Trust me I know. I'm living it and it's excruciating. I spent a month editing my personal statement over 60 times and over a month on secondaries. Not to mention days reading all these school's websites. My stats are on the low end (29/28 mcat, if I could have improved my mcat I guarantee you I would have but my circumstances are complicated and getting sick right before I took both exams hurt me even more. The first time I got my score back and I knew I could do better the second time I did better in two sections 9=>10 in physci, and 9=>11 in biosci, but dropped in the other. I'm terrified of retaking again because if I score lower i'm done for, if I score around the same I cant take the exam for a year and it looks bad, and even if i score a little bit better I'm not sure how that would be interpreted) 3.64 cGPA, even with really good ECs and a strong PS and secondaries. I also have a complicated educational background.


I've done of all the secondaries for all 40 schools. It costs a ton, especially for me, but I really want an education from a MD school, so much that I'm willing to put as much effort as I humanly can into enjoying achieve my goals. Also, my home state isn't friendly at all for applicants with my stats and I'm giving this process the best shot I can. I finished secondaries from a good 20 picks and then realized that because of my stats I don't have safeties so I might as well just apply to more OOS friendly schools and spread my net wide. I wasn't content resigning myself to 20 schools when I was on such shaky ground and sure, it took a huge amount of time, effort, and I feel absolutely dead by the end of it but i'm hoping it'll positively affect my chances.

On the positive side, I've definitely improved my writing skills.

 

[DermViser]

It has been pretty rough. I think the worst part is receiving advice from well-meaning people who don't seem to have a clue about the application process. I've been told that I should retake the MCAT (I scored a 38), apply to various Masters programs (I have a 3.6+ GPA, with a 4.0 for the past several years), and give up and become a PA (not a terrible idea considering my age, but still a little bit offensive). I knew that I was taking a risk this cycle by only applying to top schools, but it's difficult to explain that part to folks who aren't in the know.

I think being a little bit older and having perspective has been somewhat helpful in coping with the rejection. However, it is still pretty painful and the idea of being yet another year older when I start medical school is a real punch to the gut. I think most of us here are mature enough to deal with it and move forward - it just kind of sucks.

With all due respect, why would you only apply to top-tier medical schools?

 

[AndyQC]

With all due respect, why would you only apply to top-tier medical schools?

I was trying to stay close to my wife and kid. Unfortunately, all of the schools around here are extremely competitive. I thought that I had a very good shot at my state school (UNM) and a decent shot in AZ or maybe one of the CA schools, but obviously it didn't work out in my favor.

 

[kmp0410]

It shouldn't be a big shock because it's a long cycle...if it all happened at once in November it would have been really tough. I kind of came to grips with reapplying from February-onward until I received my rejection from the only school I interviewed at.

 

[UCSBro]

how many schools don't accept 3rd time applicants? is it a lifetime rule? meaning that if you apply 3 times you can NEVER apply to that medical school again for the rest of your life.
I'm applying to 40 schools and i'm so worried about being in this situation.

UCLA does not even read 3rd time applicants, they toss out your application.

 

[mrh125]

UCLA does not even read 3rd time applicants, they toss out your application.

wow that sucks. Do all of the UCs have that rule or just LA? it wouldn't surprise me if all UCs do just because they really give CA residents the shaft for med school =/.

 

[Stagg737]

Outside of Einstein, who does not accept third time applicants?

I spoke to two admissions people at two schools I want to go to (one I applied to three times, the other twice) and both said it was not uncommon for people to apply to their school and even be waitlisted four or five times before getting accepted which gives me hope.

Minnesota has a 3 strikes policy. It is something like you can apply 3 times in X years then have to wait 3 or 5 years to try applying again. Not sure what the exact policy is, but I got a letter warning me about the third time after my second rejection.

 

[Stagg737]

I was trying to stay close to my wife and kid. Unfortunately, all of the schools around here are extremely competitive. I thought that I had a very good shot at my state school (UNM) and a decent shot in AZ or maybe one of the CA schools, but obviously it didn't work out in my favor.

I would have thought they would have at least interviewed you since they only accept a few OOS students every year (literally low single digits). A friend from my master's program was accepted there and apparently they HEAVILY favor those who are interested in practicing rural medicine locally or are Native Americans. If you don't fit one of those criterion it might be tough to get in even if you are in-state...

 

[DermViser]

I was trying to stay close to my wife and kid. Unfortunately, all of the schools around here are extremely competitive. I thought that I had a very good shot at my state school (UNM) and a decent shot in AZ or maybe one of the CA schools, but obviously it didn't work out in my favor.

So you applied only to top-tier (per USWNR) med schools and California medical schools, and 2 state med schools - one in AZ and one in NM. Definitely broaden your net. You have to.

 

[DermViser]

Minnesota has a 3 strikes policy. It is something like you can apply 3 times in X years then have to wait 3 or 5 years to try applying again. Not sure what the exact policy is, but I got a letter warning me about the third time after my second rejection.

😱. Wow.

 

[DermViser]

UCLA does not even read 3rd time applicants, they toss out your application.

Your avatar reminds me of that Eliot Rodgers guy.

 

[AndyQC]

So you applied only to top-tier (per USWNR) med schools and California medical schools, and 2 state med schools - one in AZ and one in NM. Definitely broaden your net. You have to.

Done and done! I'm applying to twice as many schools this cycle and think I have a decent shot of getting in somewhere. The only upside to starting in 2015 is that my wife will be a little bit further along in residency so we won't have to spend quite as much time apart.

I would have thought they would have at least interviewed you since they only accept a few OOS students every year (literally low single digits). A friend from my master's program was accepted there and apparently they HEAVILY favor those who are interested in practicing rural medicine locally or are Native Americans. If you don't fit one of those criterion it might be tough to get in even if you are in-state...

I actually had a great interview there and was absolutely shocked when I was rejected. All of my volunteer activities were right in line with their mission, scores and grades were well above average, and I had a friendly relationship with one of the faculty members.

As I noted in another thread, I learned the hard way that there's no such thing as a "safety school."

 

[DermViser]

Done and done! I'm applying to twice as many schools this cycle and think I have a decent shot of getting in somewhere. The only upside to starting in 2015 is that my wife will be a little bit further along in residency so we won't have to spend quite as much time apart.

I actually had a great interview there and was absolutely shocked when I was rejected. All of my volunteer activities were right in line with their mission, scores and grades were well above average, and I had a friendly relationship with one of the faculty members.

As I noted in another thread, I learned the hard way that there's no such thing as a "safety school."

Good. You'll learn this even when you do get to the point of residency matching, to always cast a wide net when it comes to applying. Good luck to you!

 

[mvenus929]

I was devastated. Though that moment came before I was officially rejected everyone. It came when I got rejected from my state school, on top of a rejection from a school I thought I had a good chance at and two waitlist positions. I had a crisis of identity (particularly since I had wanted to be a doctor since I was in middle school). I had a lot of other stuff going on at the same time, which made things significantly harder. I took a couple weeks to figure out what to do, and then when I did get those rejection notices later in the summer, it wasn't so bad because I had already decided to take a year off and reexamine things.

But it still stung emotionally until I got that acceptance a year and a half later.

 

[Radon XP]

I was devastated. Though that moment came before I was officially rejected everyone. It came when I got rejected from my state school, on top of a rejection from a school I thought I had a good chance at and two waitlist positions. I had a crisis of identity (particularly since I had wanted to be a doctor since I was in middle school). I had a lot of other stuff going on at the same time, which made things significantly harder. I took a couple weeks to figure out what to do, and then when I did get those rejection notices later in the summer, it wasn't so bad because I had already decided to take a year off and reexamine things.

But it still stung emotionally until I got that acceptance a year and a half later.

Wow, your MDApps stats are pretty good. Do you have any idea what went wrong the first time?

 

[mvenus929]

Wow, your MDApps stats are pretty good. Do you have any idea what went wrong the first time?

Not enough clinical experience, and I was deemed 'too immature' (I was 20 when I interviewed the first time, and while not immature, I was rather naive). I got accepted to South Carolina the second time I applied and one of my interviewers asked me why I thought I didn't get in the first time. He said I was spot on, according to my file.

And my application is exactly why I say that stats are not everything, but no one seems to believe me when I say it...

 

[NYCNative]

Last year, when I told people I was applying to 16 schools, everyone said, "Oh my god, that's so many!!!" and I was like, "No, it's about average, this is a really tough process." This year, I'm probably applying to 25 schools, and if someone asks how many I'm applying to, I'll just say it's a bunch. 😛

As a reapp, I would up it to 40. That's just me, and what I've seen. You've applied to one school, you've applied to one school. It's not like if you get into to one, you'll get into another that's within reaching distance of the other. You have to apply to all of them, and pre-write like crazy.

 

[Keladry]

As a reapp, I would up it to 40. That's just me, and what I've seen. You've applied to one school, you've applied to one school. It's not like if you get into to one, you'll get into another that's within reaching distance of the other. You have to apply to all of them, and pre-write like crazy.

Even with FAP, I don't have the finances for that, since it'd be $36*25. Plus there aren't that many schools that are a good fit for me! I'm at 26, which I'm feeling pretty comfortable about. I appreciate the feedback, though.